Improvement in blacking-brushes



Patented April 2, 1372.

' UNITED STATES ATENT FFIoE.

HUGH S. KERR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT m BLACKlNG-BRUSHES, ac,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,200, dated April 2, 1872.

of the polishing-brush; and the said invention,

consists in so arranging the small supply-brush on its stem abovethe blackin g-box thatavertica1 motion toward the blackin g, as well as a rotary motion around its own axis, can be given to the small supply-brush, and by which vertical motion it may be brought into contact with the blacking, whenever desired, and automatically rise therefrom, so that it is not always in 7 contact with the blacking.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of my improved blacking-brush. Figs. 2 and 3 represent side elevations of the same, the supply-brush and blacking-box being shown in section; and Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of the standard in which the stem of the small supply-brush has a vertical movement.

To the forward end of the back of the polishing brush A is secured a small rim, a, of suiiicient size to allow the bottom flange of blacking-box B to fit over it snugly. The box is thus firmly held on the brush, and can be removed and replaced by a new one whenever the old one is empty. to the rear of the box B a standard, E, passes through the wooden back of the brush A, having a free vertical movement in the same. This standard carries the forward end of a stem, D, which may be made of wire or any other suitable material, and is, at its end forward of the standard E, provided with a circ'ular or globular brush, 0, while its rear end is secured in a thumb-piece, G, provided with a spindle, h, which allows the stem D and thumb-piece G to be rotated within the standard E and the handle H, in which latter the spindle it has its bearing, and may be held in any suitable manner. The handle H is supported from a standard, g, passing through the rear of the wooden portion of the brush A, in which it has, like standard E, a free vertical movement. The standards E and g At a suitable distanceare surrounded by spiral springs s s, respect ively, which bear with their lower ends against the back of brush A, while their upper ends bear against a shoulder on standard E, and the under side or handle H, respectively. These springs serve to keep the brush 0, stem D with its thumb-piece G, and handle H in an elevated position, and thus keep the small brush 0 away from'the blacking-box B and the blackin g.

In Fig. 3 my improvement is shown as applied to the'common blacking-brush having a handle, N. In this case the spindle h of the thumb-piece G is very short, and enters a small vertical slot in the face of the handle, in which it has a vertical movement. The stem D of the brush, in this case, has a vertical movement in the slot n of standard E, which is screwed into the back of brush A, and the spring 8, bearing against the stem, keeps it and the brush 0 elevated.

It will thus be seenuthat, in either case, I accomplish the object of my invention-that is, to give the small brush 0 a vertical movement to and from the blacking in box B, as well as to rotate the same on its own axis.

In using my improved brush the lid m is first removed from the box B, the stem. D depressed to bring the previously-moistened brush 0 into contact with the blacking in box B, and the brush allowed to be automatically elevated by the springs s or s, and the stem D and brushG turned by means of the thumbpiece Gr to bring that part of the brush 0 which has been saturated with blacking outward, when the lid m may be replaced and the blacking applied to the boot or shoe from brush 0 in the usual way.

By my improvement the brush 0, which is normally kept out of contact with the blacking in box B, is prevented from clogging up and stifi'ening with blacking, only the requisite amount of blacking being taken by said brush from the box each time it is used 5 and the blacking-box may, at every operation, be again closed, so as to prevent its getting ,full of dust and dirt and drying up, thus keepin g it fresh and good all the time till used up. The globular shape of brush 0 allows the person using my improved brush to remove and replace the lid m on the blacking-box without soiling the fingers; and during the rest of the operation of blacking the hem ds need not come near either of the brushes or the blacking.

Having described my invention, I clai1n 1. In a blacking-brush in which the supplybrush can be turned upon its axis, I claim the construction and arrangement of the holding devices of the stem D to allow the supplybrnsh G to be depressed into the blacking-box and to automatically rise away from it, essentin-11y as described.

2. The brush 0, mounted on its stem D in a parallel direction with the brush A, and having a, handle, G, by which it can be operated, in combination with the brush A and blacking-box B, essentially as described.

.HUGH S. KERR.

Witn esses EDWD. BROWN, J OHN F. GRANT. 

